Anti-Monitor
Life is full of 'positive' and 'negative' forces that keep each other in balance. Without both our universe would collapse, and life as we know it would end. No one wants this — no human or animal, no hero or villain. No one, that is, except for the Anti-Monitor. He represents one of the greatest evils that creation has ever seen. __TOC__ Background Information 10 billion years ago,''The date of 10 billion years in the past is given in ''Crisis on Infinite Earths, #10 (January, 1986). Krona, an ancient scientist from the planet Oa (retconned to be Maltus), looked back in time to the beginning of the universe. His interference with nature somehow retroactively created an ''anti-matter'' counterpart to the universe, as well as an infinite number of parallel universes. With the anti-matter universe's creation came the Anti-Monitor, and with the multiverse's creation came the Monitor. As Krona gazes back into the past he inadvertently changed, he witnesses the ‘hand of darkness’ (which is representative of the Anti-Monitor's hand) rising up from the chaos 'beyond Hell' (clearly from the Anti-Matter Universe) trying to cause the emergence of the Shadowlands (the "Primordial Darkness").The so-called "Hand of Darkness" first appeared in Green Lantern, #40 (October 1965) and was later notated as the Anti-Monitor's hand in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #10 (January 1986). This powerful hand rising from 'beyond Hell' received further explanation in Swamp Thing, #50 (July, 1986). The Anti-Montitor's hand is also considered the power source of several DCU characters including Obsidian, Ian Karkull, the Shade, Shadow Thief, Eclipso and others. The giant shadow hand in Swamp Thing, #50 (July, 1986) is called "the Shadowlands" and "the Primordial Darkness." Morpheus trapped Brute and Glob in "The Darkness" to punish them for empowering Garrett Sanford and Hector Hall in Sandman, #12 (January, 1990). Hell-bent on destruction and conquest, the Anti-Monitor creates the Thunderers and then the Shadow Demons to aid him in the conquest of the Anti-matter universe. One day the Anti-Monitor was awakened to his ‘positive-matter self’ and the positive matter universe in which he lived. He engaged him in a great battle, but being equals, they just ended up knocking each other unconscious simultaneously.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #7 (October 1985) and The Multiversity Guidebook (March 2015). The nature of the Monitors was expanded upon in the 7-part story revealed in Final Crisis, #1 -- #7 (July, 2008 -- March, 2009) and The Multiversity Guidebook. They remained that way for nine billion years, until Pariah, a scientist from one of the newly created infinite alternate Earths,The numerical designation (Earth-?) of Pariah's home universe has never been revealed. Fans often dubbed it "Earth-Omega" as it was the site of the "beginning of the end" (Woodward, Jonathan. "Infinite Atlas: Minor Pre-Crisis Universes"). Post-Crisis, his home universe was retconned as an alternate dimension rather than a parallel Earth (The DC Comics Encyclopedia, 2006). discovers ''parallel-universes'' and attempts to view the creation of the multiverse. This time, instead of making another multiverse, he sets off an anti-matter wave that consumes his entire ‘positive-matter’ universe while he bears witness. It also awakens the Anti-Monitor to the power found in the destruction of ‘positive-matter universes.’ In so doing, the Anti-Monitor is able to end the stalemate between he and his positive-matter counterpart. The Monitor is also awakened, but instead of conquest, his desire is to protect the multiverse (of positive-matter universes). He observed Pariah and his gift to sense impending evil and realized that he would aid in the defeat of his evil twin.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #7 (October 1985). Thus begins the Crisis on Infinite Earths. With this taste of power, his hunger grew. The Anti-Monitor released a massive antimatter wave, absorbing the energies of the destroyed positive matter universes and growing stronger even as his counterpart grew weaker. He employed the Psycho-Pirate to use his emotion control powers to terrorize the populations of the planets he sought to conquer and destroy. Meanwhile, the Monitor, along with his aide Harbinger, gathered a group of heroes and villains from various alternate universes in order to combat the threat of the Anti-Monitor.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #1 (April, 1985). One of Harbinger's duplicates was taken control of by the Anti-Monitor and apparently killed the Monitor, but the Monitor was able to use his death to create a ’pocket universe’ to contain the remaining realities from the Anti-Monitor's attack.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #4 (July, 1985) and #5 (August, 1985). His plan worked. Earth-One and Two are thrust into this netherverse. Our heroes try to fortify the remaining universes (Earths S, X, and 4) into the netherverse with the Monitor's 'tuning-forks' so that the Anti-Monitor's anti-matter will no longer be capable of consuming them. Now, the positive-matter universes are beyond Anti-Monitor’s reach. He creates an ‘Anti-Tuning Fork’ that distorts the vibrations of the universes the heroes are trying to merge. If he can stop the merging or force the universes to merge improperly, he can consume them later. Knowing there is a disturbance preventing the merger in the anti-matter universe, the Superman of Earth-One, the Superman of Earth-Two, Mon-El, Lady Quark, Captain Atom, Jade, Green Lantern of Earth-2, Wonder Woman of Earth-One, Captain Marvel, the Ray, Martian Manhunter, Wildfire, Firestorm, the [[Kimiyo Hoshi| new Doctor Light]], and Supergirl are led by Pariah through the portal between the two universes, that was opened by Alex Luthor, Jr. They discover the massive cosmic tuning fork and Supergirl manages to destroy it and rupture the Anti-Monitor’s armor leaving him for dead. Sadly, Supergirl is killed as a result.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #7'' (October, 1985). With the remaining positive matter universes still out of reach, the Anti-Monitor decides that since he cannot consume them and expand his universe, he will destroy them. So he constructs a ‘cannon’ powered by ‘anti-matter’ that will obliterate them before they can fully merge. That way, he can still consume the universes later when they're broken into bits. From his citadel he hastily completes the canon. During this time, he has also captured the Flash (Barry Allen) who has been kept subdued by the Psycho-Pirate. Unbeknownst to the Anti-Monitor, the Flash has gained an ally in the Psycho-Pirate. Together they conspire to turn on the Anti-Monitor. The Psycho-Pirate manipulates the Thunderers to turn on the Anti-Monitor and attack him. While they did so, the Flash entered the core of the anti-matter cannon and reversed the energy flow out of it. However, in so doing, the Flash exceeded the speed of light and was destroyed along with the cannon. After easily dispersing the atoms of his Thunderers, the Anti-Monitor realized that his weapon was destroyed and that he would have to take a more abstract approach. He drained the anti-matter energy of over 1,000,000 worlds and used it to travel back to the dawn of time.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #8 (November, 1985). However, the actions of the Spectre, empowered by the sorcerers of the surviving Earths, brought the Anti-Monitor to a stalemate. He does this by sending super-powered individuals on two mission. He has the villains go to the past to stop Krona from viewing the origins of the universe. This mission failed. Krona is still able to look back, but instead of seeing just the Anti-Monitor's hand, he sees the hands of the Anti-Monitor and the Spectre struggling for domination. The second mission, which Krona sees when he gazes into the past, was necessary because as the Spectre explained that 'time can be changed', but only from the 'dawn of time'. The Spectre’s attack unleashes an explosion of energy, which appears to consume all reality.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #10 (January, 1986). This originally was intended to be the end of the Crisis storyline. The Big Bang happens again! From the ashes rose a new, this singular universe. While various persons adjusted to the newly singular Earth (including those whose worlds and histories had been destroyed with the loss of the Multiverse), the Anti-Monitor was only enraged further. Consumed with conquest, he drew this [[New Earth| new '' Earth]] into the antimatter universe, intending to destroy this last bastion of positive matter once and for all.As revealed in ''Crisis on Infinite Earths, #11 (February, 1986). What followed was the Shadow Demon War, wherein many heroes and villains lost their lives against the Anti-Monitor's forces. Finally, the combined efforts of various superheroes and villains (the [[Kimiyo Hoshi| new Doctor Light]], the heroic Alex Luthor of Earth-Three, Superboy of Earth Prime, Superman of Earth-Two and the self-serving Darkseid) were able to weaken the Anti-Monitor enough for the Earth-Two Superman to deliver the final blow, destroying the Anti-Monitor by punching him into a star. The star went nova and caused an antimatter waves to erupt, threatening to destroy the entire antimatter universe. Superman of Earth-Two and Superboy-Prime were willing to resign themselves to their final fates (since their home-universes had been destroyed) until Alex Luthor, using his power to open dimensions, revealed that he had created a "paradise dimension", which he had safely tucked Lois Lane Kent of Earth-Two. Realizing that they do not have a place in the new Post-Crisis universe, our heroes decide to accompany Alex into the paradise-like dimension. The foursome vanish seconds before the exploding sun would have reached them.As revealed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #12 (March, 1986). Those Killed by the Anti-Monitor's Actions To name a few: * Supergirl (Linda Lee Danvers) * The Flash (Barry Allen) * The entire Crime Syndicate of America * Kid Psycho * The Losers * Flower of Easy Company * Starman * The Immortal Man * The Dove (formerly of the Teen Titans * Kole * Clayface * The Bug-Eyed Bandit * The Angle Man * Prince Ra-Man * Sunburst * Lori Lemaris * Aquagirl * Green Arrow of Earth-Two * The Huntress of Earth-Two * Robin of Earth-Two * Earth-Three’s hero, Lex Luthor Powers and Abilities Powers * Unique Physiology: The Anti-Monitor was one of the most formidable foes ever faced by the heroes. In addition to possessing vast size (varying from several meters to hundreds of meters), he has destroyed and absorbed countless universes. The Monitor explains that over a thousand universes have been destroyed. Even the Spectre was unable to defeat him even after being augmented by many powerful sorcerers, including a fifth dimensional imp. ** Energy Projection: Ability to create waves that have the power to unmake matter at its most basic level. ** Energy Construct Creation ** Invulnerability: He's personally battled scores of the strongest heroes from hundreds of universes simultaneously without taking any damage whatsoever. ** Energy Absorption: He consumed thousands of positive-matter universes to increase his power. ** Power Distribution: The Anti-Monitor also showed capable of greatly augmenting another being's powers, as he did with Psycho-Pirate, whose powers were increased to levels too much for him to handle. ** Reality Alteration Abilities * Leadership: He commanded an army of Qwardians and shadow demons, and had access to highly advanced technology capable of shifting, merging, or destroying entire universes. * Genius Level Intellect * Tactical Analysis Weapons *The Anti-Monitor's Anti-Tuning Fork *The Anti-Matter Cannon Notes *The Anti-Monitor first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #2 (although he remained in shadow until Crisis on Infinite Earths, #5) and was created by Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, and Jerry Ordway. *He was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, #12 only to return after a long absence in Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special, #1 (Aug. 2007). External Links *Anti-Monitor (Antimatter Universe) at the DC Database *Anti-Monitor at Wikipedia References Category:Characters Category:DC characters Category:Justice League enemies Category:Villains